Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 126358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
I was distracted with my thoughts and before I knew it, we were much further out than I wanted to be. Looking down, I could see that the rocky bottom of the pool was far below us.
“L’eesha, that’s enough now,” I told her. “Let’s go back to the shallows and I’ll scrub you again.”
“don’t want to,” was her stubborn reply. “don’t—”
But just at that moment, an enormous Emerald Gold-wing, which had been floating, half-submerged on its back a few yards away, yawned and turned over, which caused a mini-tidal wave.
The wave rushed over me and both L’eesha and I lost my grip on her dorsal fin. With a cry, I was swept away from her, out into the deeper end of the pool…
And then the water closed over my head.
51
AURORA
“hurry, hurry! come, i cannot reach her—HURRY!” I heard L’eesha projecting wildly as I struggled to the surface of the water and took a gulp of air.
I wanted to cry for help, but when I opened my mouth, the hot water of the Baths went down my throat in and nearly drowned me.
I choked and gasped and went under again, feeling my dragon’s panic flooding me as surely as the water was.
“my Auri is drowning! hurry—she cannot breathe in water. she is not a fish! HURRY!” I heard her shouting.
I wondered who she was shouting to—possibly M’alex? But he was too far out to reach me—wasn’t he?
I kicked and flailed and managed to get another breath before the hot water sucked me under again. Oh God and Goddess, I couldn’t die like this! Not after I had finally gotten a dragon—I couldn’t leave L’eesha all alone! I couldn’t…
Suddenly a strong arm hooked around my waist and raised me to the surface of the water.
“What…who…?” I choked out, still thrashing.
“It’s all right—you’re all right,” I heard a familiar voice say. “Be still and let me tow you in!”
It was Ryse, though the God and Goddess alone knew how he had gotten to me so fast.
“M’alex brought him,” L’eesha informed me. Looking up, I saw her swimming to me as fast as she could. “are you all right, my Auri?”
“I think so,” I sent back. I was still in way over my head, but Ryse was swimming strongly, towing me back to the shallow end of the pool.
But when we got there, though I felt feelings of relief from my dragon, Ryse’s face was tight with anger.
“Why the hell did you go out into the deeper water if you couldn’t swim?” he demanded. “And why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim so I could teach you?”
“I’m sorry.” I coughed and sputtered, getting the last of the water out of my lungs. “It just…never occurred to me.”
“You know, you’re always so damn secretive—going off by yourself whenever we go to the Cook-pot,” he said, swiping his wet hair out of his golden eyes, the better to glare at me. “I figured you were just shy and wanted your privacy. But if I had known you were a drowning risk, I never would have left you alone!”
“I’m not a drowning risk!” I protested but just then L’eesha reached me, splashing through the shallow water, and nearly bowled me over.
“my Auri, i am so sorry! i never should have asked you to go out deep!”
If a dragon could cry, she would have been weeping in my arms.
“It’s all right, sweetheart.” I put my arms around her neck and scratched her golden hide comfortingly. “I’m all right—I’m fine, I promise.”
“you are not fine but you will be,” she informed me as she nuzzled her soft snout against my cheek. “i have told M’alex to tell Ryse to teach you to swim and he has promised that he will.”
I looked up at Ryse, who had a strange expression on his face.
“M’alex informs me that the Queen has ordered him to tell me to teach you to swim,” he said.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” I protested quickly.
“Oh, yes I do,” he said grimly. “I agree with L’eesha—I don’t want to risk you drowning again.”
“Well…I guess I’m getting swimming lessons,” I said helplessly.
L’eesha nuzzled me happily.
“yes you are—because i said so,” she told me.
“Come here,” Ryse said to me, but then he came to me instead, because I still had my arms full of my dragon. “Let go of her for a minute,” he said.
I slipped my arms from around my dragon’s neck and found myself drawn into his strong embrace.
Both of us were wearing the standard issue swimming shorts since the Dragon Baths were considered a public area, not just for bathing like the Cook-pot, and I was wearing a thin, white, short-sleeved shirt that clung to my breasts. I hoped my Dragon Glass pendant would keep him from noticing them pressing against his hard chest.
“God and Goddess, when L’eesha was shouting at M’alex that you were drowning, I felt so much panic I could barely breathe,” he murmured in my ear. “I thought I was going to lose you, Auri!”